Keen to make good on a campaign promise, Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto said Wednesday he wants to see proposals made by an ethics committee adopted rapidly.

The Committee on Ethics and Integrity on Tuesday presented the City Council with a proposed ethics policy it had labored on for about a year.

Scotto said he would like to see the council create a subcommittee to review the many proposals for elected and appointed officials, as well as city employees.

“I’m hoping the majority or all of the things that have been suggested to us come back,” the mayor said.

Scotto made the adoption of an ethics policy part of his platform during the 2006 mayoral campaign.

His proposal was in reaction to what Scotto and his supporters perceived as unethical behavior during the administration of his predecessor, former Mayor Dan Walker.

Recommendations in the committee’s 37-page report include ethics training programs, a hotline to report lapses in ethical behavior and an Ethics Oversight Committee to enforce the proposed code of conduct.

“It was important to the committee to ensure the program remains sustainable and a meaningful component of the culture of the community,” said former Mayor Dee Hardison, who chaired the committee.

Scotto said the only delays in implementing the policy could come down to money.

He estimated it could cost $20,000 to $30,000 to pay for a staff liaison to work part-time with the committee and conduct training programs. Scotto hopes the money will be found.

“If it was $35,000, that’s a small price to pay to remind people to be ethical,” he said. “We’re not just doing it to make a statement today; the idea is to have something in place for years to come.”

Rolled out in two phases, the policy would first target elected and appointed officials, then city workers.

During her presentation to the council, Hardison seemed to soft-pedal the punitive powers the proposed oversight committee would have to enforce violations.

“A lot of this wouldn’t go anywhere,” she said. “The committee wouldn’t be acting frivolously. The likelihood of (punishment) is pretty remote.”

Councilman Paul Nowatka, a former police officer, appeared concerned by those comments.

“I do hope we don’t end up with a toothless product,” he said. “There has to be some way to enforce it.”

Scotto, who said Wednesday he received “numerous” telephone calls from constituents eager to see the policy enacted, pledged to move it forward.

“To regain some trust (in government) back here locally, it’s very important we keep this process going,” he said. “I made this promise to people, and I’m going to try my hardest to make sure it does happen.”

Veteran journalist Nick Green is the beat reporter for the cities of Torrance, Carson and Lomita and also covers the South Bay's rapidly growing craft beer industry for the Daily Breeze. He has worked for newspapers on the West Coast since graduating in 1987 from the University of Washington and lives in Old Torrance with his wife and two cats. Follow him on Twitter @NickGreen007 and @BeerGogglesLA.